Egg questions for a wolf spider

[Kitkeepzspooders]

River is a wolf spider i traded for at an expo, I dont remember what genus she is, and I'm struggling to identify her. Anyway onto the egg-

This was when she spun the egg, on May 1st. She of course ate a LOT, I usually only fed her every other day, but she was hunting my tweezers so I fed her every day. As expected, she won't take food now, and she's still very much expecting however I noticed that 1 it seems, to me, that the egg has shrunk, and she's been hiding more often, usually she's very out in the open. she's now tucking herself into leaves and "holding" the egg with her back two legs. It's May 17th now, and the breeder said I could expect the egg in about two weeks, which I questioned because I've always heard the eggs take closer to a month to hatch. This is the first wolf I've tried to breed so I don't know what is and isn't normal. Her adbomen has shrunk which I took as a sign of fertility. Should I remove the egg and feed her or let her cook?

 

[Tbone192]

She could have produced a phantom egg sac. This is not uncommon but can absolutely be very confusing for keepers. Keep an eye on it, maybe offer some prekilled prey or very small prey item and see what happens. I've never personally kept wolf spiders but I have never had issues with my widows or false widows, egg sacs. Keep us updated, best of luck to you and your funky friend.

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

Tbone I call on thy!
OK so i had Wasp, the breeder, check the egg and there are babies but they are very under developed and neither of us know if w should feed her? its been almost a month and the babies are smaller than a pin head:


As seen, its formed and he said it moved a bit when he extracted it, but Should I feed her a worm or something? because she is really skinny and I feel like the egg should be further along than it is.

 

[Tbone192]

How long was the egg sac left in for before removal? Do you have access to an incubator? You could offer prey but make sure it is small so that she does not get scared, the rest is up to your wolf spider. It almost seems like she laid eggs but might not have the strength to rear them to maturity. I have only really heard of this happening in older spider specimens. Alternatively, she may be wild caught and could potentially have a plethora of health problems or cannot de-stress. It doesn't sound great but offer food and water, and maybe give the egg sac back to her. I've never actually pulled egg sacs from my true spiders, they often just hatch and then there are babies everywhere, collection is a bit of a pain I guess. I think @darkness975 or @pannaking22, if he is still active, probably have relevant info.

 

[darkness975]

Try prekilled

 

[pannaking22]

Whoa, been forever since I've been on, so I'm surprised that I even got tagged for something! It almost looks to be at the eggs with legs stage, so there might not be much that can be done at this point until it molts again. Otherwise try prekilled, like darkness985 said.

 

[Charliemum]

Did you take the sac off momma? As far as I know your not ment to do that the nymphs will stick to momma for a few weeks still absorbing their yoke, she will kick them off once they are ready to hunt but like balfouri ppl usually leave the sac with momma.

N try momma on prekilled she will take it if she's hungry.

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

I had the breeder open the sac with a scapl just to make sure its fertile, he said it was a normal thing to do?
also she didn't want a worm or a criket so I don't think she is hungry, egg still hasn't hatched and she's closed to little slit as far as far as I see

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

*Scaple
how do you spell it-
the doctor knife that every 5th grade science teacher has a story about

 

[Charliemum]

I know what you mean, surgical knife
I have heard of ppl opening t sacs but not wolf sacs. I want to stress though I am not a breeder that's my SO's job and never bred wolfs but have watched others do it and never seen anyone pull a sac from a wolf momma. As long as she took the sac bk suppose it doesn't matter, it just isn't something I have seen but if your breeder does it and they are successful at their job who am I to argue

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

Yea, I'm stuck between just trying to keep her alive and letting the breeder have the sac, one of his females just made a false egg so he thinks she would take it, I am getting concerned with her size and I don't feel like it's worth her death over the egg. But I don't want to be inhuman and take her egg from her, they are her babies, but she's my baby and I'd be devastated if she passed because of the egg. I'm gonna let her keep it for another week and then if nothing has changed I'll most likely let Wasp's momma adopt the sac.
hopefully everything works out though.

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

And

How long was the egg sac left in for before removal? Do you have access to an incubator? You could offer prey but make sure it is small so that she does not get scared, the rest is up to your wolf spider. It almost seems like she laid eggs but might not have the strength to rear them to maturity. I have only really heard of this happening in older spider specimens. Alternatively, she may be wild caught and could potentially have a plethora of health problems or cannot de-stress. It doesn't sound great but offer food and water, and maybe give the egg sac back to her. I've never actually pulled egg sacs from my true spiders, they often just hatch and then there are babies everywhere, collection is a bit of a pain I guess. I think @darkness975 or @pannaking22, if he is still active, probably have relevant info.

The egg was woven on may 1rst its May 28th now, I do not have access to an incubator but I could probably make one, As I stated she was traded for at an expo, they said she was home bred but that she was smaller than the rest, could that have something to do with it? If she's a "runt" of the litter?

 

[Kitkeepzspooders]

Oh nevermind she ripped it open it looks like?
I put a paper towel down so she would be able to find this little grasshopper I found and-
I thought the babies were supposed to be on her back though? also ignore my brother in the background
I blew on them a bit to get them to move
don't mind the cup I thought it would be a good way to get gnats for the babies to hunt. ;-;'
and is she eating the egg? I was trying to clip the way she had it in her mouth but she kinda just dumbed the babies n carried the sac around
View attachment VID_20240528_110908.mp4

 

[Charliemum]

It looks like she's eating it and yes they should of been on her bk. I can only assume she decided the sac had been compromised.
Usually when you breed any spood or t you leave the mom alone with the sac and don't disturb her incase she eats it coz she doesn't feel safe. It's usually 30 days plus with t's but with wolf spiders you never pull the sac mum looks after it.
You'll have to collect those baby's and put them in a nursery pot now they aren't big enough to hold onto her but won't survive on their own.

 

[darkness975]

Whoa, been forever since I've been on, so I'm surprised that I even got tagged for something! It almost looks to be at the eggs with legs stage, so there might not be much that can be done at this point until it molts again. Otherwise try prekilled, like darkness985 said.

975

What @Charliemum said

Separate and hope for the best.